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Do Penrith have a potential problem?

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Roar Rookie
2nd September, 2019
19

One of Ivan Cleary’s finest achievements as a coach came during the 2014 NRL season. He took a Penrith team mixed with youth and experience to a preliminary final, a game away from competing in the decider.

It was a side that some people didn’t give much of a chance, especially when a few key players had their season cut short due to injury, but Ivan was able to continue to have them go out each week, giving their best and finding success. He coached them to their strengths and it showed on the field.

Over the past four seasons, I keep hearing people talk about the potential the Panthers have. They have a side that could potentially win a premiership, a halfback that could potentially be one of the greats, a coach that could potentially lead them to the grandest heights.

This season has been a disappointment for the Panthers. It feels like they’ve taken a step back. One of the shinning lights is the nine debutants, the future is looking bright, right?

But could the future of Penrith – the next generation of players – be where the issue lies? Penrith should be commended for the development and pathways of their junior systems. It’s a factory that produces talent after talent which is not only beneficial to the club but also the game itself.

To have a team filled with young talent is positive and a step in the right direction, but ultimately what does it mean if you don’t keep them around long enough to reap the benefits of that potential.

Some of the players that Penrith have let go over the past four years include Matt Moylan, Bryce Cartwright, Tyrone Peachy, Waqa Blake, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Corey Harawira-Naera, Leilani Latu and now possibly Reagan Campbell-Gillard being shopped around to other teams.

They were all players at one point that Penrith fans fell in love with. Yes, there are factors as to why they were released by club, but is the solution to simply release them because you can fall back on the next crop of players coming through the system?

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Nathan Cleary.

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Brent Naden, Liam Martin, Brian To’o and Mitch Kenny have all brought youthful exuberance to the team and are all showing their potential, but what happens when the lustre wears off and they find themselves down on form, or having off-field issues?

Is the cycle of removing what’s not working and bringing in another rookie because he has the potential to be great really the answer?

Or should a stronger attempt be made to solve whatever the problem is with the player, coach to their strengths and motivate them to regain the form that made fans fall in love with them in the first place.

Maybe some players need a new start and there are deeper issues that can’t be mended, but I look at what Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Corey Harawira-Naera has given the Bulldogs. When Matt Moylan is fully fit, he is a great asset to the Sharks.

Penrith have a good roster heading into the 2020 season. The signing of Api Koroisau back to his former club brings experience and should add some attacking spark out of dummy half.

The halves pairing of Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai might be what Penrith need to get themselves back to playing finals footy, but are they a roster capable of being a threat to the premiership? Or do we find ourselves saying they could potentially win in a few years once this team of young talented players become a bit more experienced? This is essentially the same spot they were in at the end of 2016.

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When Ivan Cleary coached that Penrith side in 2014, on paper they might’ve not looked like a top-four side. The youth they had were only beginning their careers and the veterans they brought in weren’t met with a great deal of fanfare. Jamie Soward, Peter Wallace and an ageing Brent Kite all had questions marks over them.

But the experience and leadership they brought to the club was invaluable. With James Maloney set to depart and head to France at the end of the season, Penrith lose one of their most influential players. They enter the 2020 season with one of the youngest squads in the competition. The balance of youth, established players and veterans reaching their end is missing.

They potentially have a team that could win a premiership. They potentially could unearth the next generation of superstars. But you need proven players, match-winners and leaders that are influential not just on the field but off the field, too.

And the only way you’re going to achieve that is sticking to a team and coaching them. Resist the urge to let go of a player because you believe we’ve got one of the best junior systems in the game, so we can easily replace them.

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